One of the most important things to remember when transporting a boat is to make sure that it is properly secured. Tow ball size: match tow ball to the coupler / actuator requirement (2 or 2-5/16) depending upon trailer capacity. Covers, Boat Shrink Wrap Anchor Box Anchors, Fishing Rod & Reel 2023 KayakPaddling.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. . Marine Battery Chargers, Shop Sitting a boat on a trailer improperly can be problematic for your boat. Now, you will have to measure your boat to make sure it fits. Oars, Wakeboard, Wakesurf & the object is for the boat to sit on the flats between the strakes. So make sure you take the time to set your boat trailer up correctly for your boat and you will be sure to spend many enjoyable years on your boat rather than struggling with your trailer. Covers, Boat Wiring & To free the nuts, use the wrench. This will ensure that your boat is as stable as possible while being towed. Like, you do not need any professional help at all. Rails, Marine Tools & Tool Biminis, Paint and Fenders, Boat Trailer Checking the Keel Rollers on the Boat Trailer Step 2. Combos, Fishing Tools & There are three main ways to do this depending on your boat and your trailer and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. We will no discuss a couple of ways which will help make launching and retrieving your boat as easy as possible. Anchor Box Anchors, Fishing Rod & Reel Fitting a boat to a trailer is quite challenging if youre not accustomed to it. Dollies, SportsStuff Great Big The bunks should only balance the boat; the keel rollers are designed to carry the lions share of the load. The main thing that made me want to adjust my trailer was. Bullet Skimmer, Paint and Contact Us. Tackle Boxes, Fishing Bait & Plumbing, Fresh Water Boat Make sure the bunks are also wide enough for lateral stability. Deals, Electrical Ultimately, you will want the draw bar weight to be substantial enough to get the trailer to follow your car at all times. How to Fit a Boat to a Trailer - Marine Expert Drive slowly, below 55 or 50. Parts, Sacrificial Anodes & Great Boat Trailers for sale online for LESS! Ventilation, Interior & Cabin It will make the roads a much safer place for yourself and the other road users. It will display the maximum load-carrying capacity of the trailer. Axles, Boat Trailer Tie However, boats that fit on these smaller types of trailers are generally at the smaller and lighter end of the trailer market so dont have a lot of draw bar weight so adjustment is generally not needed. Breakers, Power Packs & Jump Because this can give extra grip to set the boat on the trailer. Products, Carbon Monoxide & This can affect the steering of the car and cause damage to the suspension of the towing vehicle. Here are some tips on how to properly load a boat onto a roller trailer: Position the trailer so that the bow of the boat is facing downhill, with the front of the trailer closest to the water. CREATE You need to make sure its hard, but still maintains a decent hardness and doesnt overdo it. Rails, Marine Tools & Tool Remember one thing when you are finally done. Plumbing, Anchor Our Location. Pumps, Livewell Aerator Pumps Schematics are a visual representation of a generic trailer and not drawn to a particular scale. Kits, Seadog Stainless Steel Cup Secondly, the weight distribution should be taken into account loading too much weight towards the front or rear of the trailer can throw off the balance and cause problems when towed. AN If something goes wrong while you are transporting your boat on a trailer, the first thing you should do is stop and assess the situation. Rollers Rollers rely on gravity to pull your boat easily into the water. Systems, Marine Plumbing Harware, Marine Nuts, Bolts, & Battery Charger, Marine Audio & Boat Trailer Showdown: Bunks vs. Rollers | etrailer.com How Should a Boat Sit on a Trailer? - Safety Transport Detectors, Binoculars & I have an older aluminum 16ft Starcraft V-hull fishing boat. My keel is no where near touching. Yes. Parts, Wash Down Software, Digital If your boat has thru-hull or transom mount transducers you must be sure to position trailer bunks so they do not come into contact with transducers. & Dock, Anchor Chains & We will get to this topic shortly. Jacks, Boat Trailer Brakes & Blocks, Marine & The trailer has bunks on the sides and rollers up the middle. Login, Boats A boat that weighs 200kg that would mean there is 20kg of draw bar weight, which in reality would tow pretty badly. How to set up your Boat Trailer covers things like boat roller and trailer skid set-up and positioning, when to use rollers and when to use skids. Holder, Anchor & Dock You can tear the brake lines if youre not looking to see how much adjustment you have in the lines. Waxes, Boat Cleaning Forums, Find Deals, Dealer A good rule of thumb is touse 10% of boat, motor, and liquid weights for personal gear. Shelters, Boat This can save time and hassle, particularly if youre in a hurry. Select a trailer with the next highest capacity rating. Ropes, Boat As simple as it sounds, when your boat trailer is set-up correctly it will tow better, your trailer will sit behind your car better, it wont swerve all over the road and naturally it will be a lot easier to launch and retrieve your boat on and off your trailer. Protection, Ladders, Steps, & 200-300mm and the brake lines will allow it, anything over that you might have to check to see if it is capable of being moved any further without undoing some of the retaining clips that hold the brakes pipe in place. And remember this can also put scratches on the boat. Parts, Rule 1500 GPH Automatic Holder, Anchor & Dock Tops, Other It is important to go slowly, as you dont want the boat to swing around and hit the side of the trailer. Plumbing, Fresh Water Boat However, you may need a few members while you trail your boat. Galley, Barbeque Video, GPS Chartplotters & Should Boat Sit Level On Trailer? If you must carry such equipment in your boat while trailering, take this into consideration at the time of purchase and go to the next larger-size/capacity trailer. Transom Make sure the boat is properly positioned on the trailer. The first set of numbers determine the boat length that will fit on the trailer. secondly, check that the front keel-supporting roller is higher than the back keel roller by approximately 25mm. Trailer electrical connection: 4 or 5 pin flat pigtail connector if no brakes or surge brake equipped, and 7 pin round if Electric Over Hydraulic (EOH) brake equipped. After that, the bolts youve adjusted, and the wheel lug nuts should be tightened again after youve been towing for about ten miles. Biminis, Paint and Boarding, Paddles & ACCOUNT, Find To calculate needed trailer capacity, calculate the total weight including the boat, the engine, a full fuel tank (approximately 7 lbs. Maintenance, Pumps and Racks, Fish Finders, Sounders First, make sure the boat is levelthis will ensure the trailer and boat move in the same direction and are not affected by uneven ground. Without further ado, lets get into how to fit a boat to a trailer. The straight shaft places the engine more toward the front and the axle position on the trailer may have to be moved forward as well to achieve proper tongue weight. Forums, Find You may have taken this brief as a gist. First things first.